In this file photo, Los Angeles Dodgers’ Dee Gordon RBI double in the seventh inning of a Major league baseball game against the San Francisco Giants on Saturday, May 10, 2013 in Los Angeles. ¬ (Keith Birmingham/Pasadena Star-News) ¬ ¬

Dee Gordon had played in 52 of the Dodgers’ 56 games before Saturday, and stolen 34 bases. If he continues that pace, he could become the first Major League Baseball player to steal 100 bases since Vince Coleman swiped 109 in 1987 for the St. Louis Cardinals.

It might seem like a stretch to think that Gordon can do something no one has done in 27 years. But Dodgers first-base coach Davey Lopes, a heck of a base thief in his day with Los Angeles, believes it can be done.

“Yes,” Lopes said ahead of Saturday’s game against the Pirates. “I mean, a lot of people say no. But I disagree.”

Lopes said there are two players with enough talent in the National League to do it — Gordon and Cincinnati’s Billy Hamilton. Hamilton, however, has only 19 stolen bases so far, so he certainly won’t do it this year.

Gordon, on the other hand, has that possibility.

“You’ve gotta like to run, you’ve gotta want to run and you have to stay healthy,” Lopes said. “If he stays healthy, I’m not saying he will or he won’t (do it), but his number is going to be high. It’s just a matter of how often he gets on base.

“I mean, there are teams already trying to do certain things with him. But this is a special talent we’re dealing with now. He’s extremely fast, he’s reading pitchers better, his confidence is extremely high, he loves to run.”

This is Gordon’s fourth season at the major-league level. Previously, the most games he played was 87 in 2012, when he batted .228 and stole 32 of 42 bases. In 2011, he hit .304 in 56 games and stole 24 of 31 bases. Last year he was in just 38 games, batted .234 and was successful on 10 of 12 steal attempts.

After a hot April in which he hit .344, Gordon is batting .288 this season with a career-best on-base-percentage of .341. He has been caught stealing just three times in 37 tries.

“His percentage of success ratio is outstanding,” Lopes said.

As Gordon came off the field after shagging fly balls during batting practice, he was asked about his numbers. Immediately, he turned it into a team subject.

“Get on base, score runs and help us win,” he said. “That’s it. Pretty simple. I’m just trying to help us win every day.”

He was asked again, what about the stolen bases? Can he get 100?

“I actually don’t know,” he said, softly and humbly. “Like I said, I’m just trying to help us.”

He was adamant — being the first player in over a quarter-century to steal 100 bases is not a goal.

“No,” he said.

He did say that Lopes has been a tremendous help.

“Oh, for sure,” he said. “Just pointing out the little things that you’ve gotta do, picking up on the keys.”

Gordon is obviously a man of few words. Lopes is not, however, and he had no problem singing his pupil’s praises.

“He’s doing a great job,” Lopes said. “It will be interesting to see how long he can keep it at that pace. But he’s a student of the game on baserunning and base stealing, and he’s come a long way. He really has.”

Furthermore, Lopes said, “He excites the crowd.”

Just like Lopes used to.

Comfortable at second

Gordon switched from shortstop to second base this season, the position Lopes once played. During Friday’s loss to the Pirates, Gordon made a terrific back-handed stop of a ball hit by Neil Walker up the middle. He did not transfer the ball, just shoveling it from his glove to second base to Hanley Ramirez, who completed the double play. It was a pretty play from a novice at the position.

“That’s not an easy transition to make,” Lopes said. “He’s on-the-job training at the major-league level, which is not an easy thing to do, as anyone who has done it will tell you. I think his base-stealing has overshadowed what he has done at second base.”

It took a while for Gordon to feel comfortable there.

“Just little things,” Gordon said of trials and tribulations of the move. “Just knowing where to be on certain plays, which I know now, but at first it was tough.”

No time to panic

The Dodgers entered play Saturday with a 29-27 record and 7 1/2 games behind Western Division-leading San Francisco. Manager Don Mattingly was asked if it is time to worry.

First, he said his players can’t be concerned about the Giants, only themselves. Then he added: “That’s certain people’s jobs, I guess, to sound the alarm. What I don’t want to do is just accept where we’re at. I like the thought of making sure we play with urgency.”

Don’t just blame Kemp

Another hot topic is the play of Matt Kemp, the center fielder-turned-left fielder who is hitless in his past 20 at-bats and is hitting just .242 with five home runs and 13 RBIs in 161 at-bats.

“I think we have to separate Matt,” Mattingly said. “It’s not just Matt, it’s all of us.”

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